Category: Birds of Paradise

The Blue Bird-of-paradise, (Paradisaea rudolphi), is a medium-sized bird-of-paradise.

Regarded by some ornithologists as the loveliest of all birds, the Blue Bird-of-paradise was discovered by Carl Hunstein in 1884. The scientific name commemorates the ill-fated Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range, small population size and, in some areas, by hunting for its highly prized plumes, the rare Blue Bird-of-paradise is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[1] It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

The Yellow-breasted Satinbird (Loboparadisea sericea), formerly known as the Yellow-breasted Bird-of-paradise and also known as the Silken Satinbird, is a species of bird in the Cnemophilidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Loboparadisea. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The Loria’s Satinbird or Velvet Satinbird (Formerly known as the Loria’s Bird-of-paradise) (Cnemophilus loriae) is a species of bird in the Cnemophilidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

The Yellow-Breasted Bowerbird (Chlamydera lauterbachi) also known as Lauterbach’s Bowerbird, is a medium-sized, approximately 27 cm long, bowerbird with a brownish-olive upperparts plumage, grayish-yellow upper breast, coppery crown, dark brown iris, yellow underparts, a black bill and pinkish-orange mouth. Both sexes are similar. The female is duller than the male.

The Yellow-Breasted Bowerbird is distributed in mainland New Guinea, where it inhabits the grasslands, lowlands, and subtropical mountain forests. Its diet consists mainly of fruits, caterpillars, beetles, and other insects. The nest is a shallow cup made of small sticks up in a tree. The bower itself is that of “avenue”-type with four walls of sticks and an outward-angled main avenue walls.

The scientific name commemorates its discoverer, the German botanist Carl Lauterbach. He discovered this bowerbird in 1896.

Widespread and a common species throughout its habitat range, the Yellow-breasted Bowerbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The Flame Bowerbird, Sericulus aureus, is one of the most brilliantly coloured bowerbirds. The male is a medium-sized bird, up to 25 cm long, with flame orange and golden yellow plumage, elongated neck plumes and yellow-tipped black tail. It builds an “avenue-type” bower with two side walls of sticks. The female is an olive brown bird with yellow or golden below.

The Flame Bowerbird is distributed in and endemic to rainforests of New Guinea. This species is the first bowerbird described by naturalists. Because of the male’s beautifully coloured plumage, it was previously thought to be a bird of paradise. Indeed, the male Flame Bowerbird also has a courtship display along with his bower. He twists his tails and his wings to the side, and then shakes his head quickly.

The Archbold’s Bowerbird (Archboldia papuensis) is a medium-sized, up to 37 cm long, dark grey songbird with brown iris, grey feet and black bill. The male has narrow black scalloping with some trace of golden yellow crown feathers and dark grey forked tail, that shorter than the wing. Both sexes are similar. The female is smaller than male, with yellow patch on wings and has no crown feathering.

The Archbold’s Bowerbird is distributed and endemic to highland forests of Western New Guinea. The male is polygamous and its bower yet to be discovered. The diet consists mainly of fruits.

This little known bowerbird was discovered by Austin Loomer Rand in 1939. The name commemorates the New Guinea explorer and ornithologist Richard Archbold. It is notable for going to great lengths in acquiring shed ornamental plumes of the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise for decorating its courtship bower.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, the Archbold’s Bowerbird is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The Brown Sicklebill, Epimachus meyeri is a large, up to 96cm long, dark brown and black bird of paradise with highly iridescent plumages, a sickle-shaped bill, pale blue iris and brown underparts. The male is adorned with ornamental plumes on the sides of its breast and a huge sabre-shaped central tail feathers that are highly prized by natives. The female is a reddish brown bird with buff barred black below. Female in Papua New GuineaMale in Papua New Guinea

The Brown Sicklebill is distributed to mountain forests of New Guinea, Its appearance resembles the closely related and larger Black Sicklebill. In areas where these two large sicklebills met, the Brown Sicklebill replaced the latter species in higher altitudes. Its diet consists mainly of fruits, arthropods and small animals.

This bird was discovered by Carl Hunstein in 1884 and named after Adolf Bernard Meyer of Dresden Museum, Germany.

The Brown Sicklebill is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

The King Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus regius is a small, approximately 16cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a crimson and white bird of paradise with bright blue feet and green-tipped fan-like plumes on its shoulder. The two elongated tail wires are decorated with emerald green disk feathers on its tip. The unadorned female is a brown bird with barring below.

The King Bird of Paradise is distributed throughout lowland forests of New Guinea and nearby islands. This so-called “living gem” is the smallest and most vividly colored among birds of paradise. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.

An extraordinary display is performed by the male with a series of tail swinging, fluffing of its abdomen white feathers that makes the bird look like a cottonball, and acrobatic pendulum displays.

Widespread and a common species throughout its large habitat range, the King Bird of Paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.